May Contain Gluten…

January 16, 2017Leave a comment

This picture of my gfbff Ari perfectly encapsulates how I often feel at the grocery store when finding out naturally gluten-free products may contain gluten!

A term I have grown to hate is “may contain gluten”. Why do these plain whole almonds maybe contain gluten? I understand the argument for cross contamination but the label makes me nervous. While companies are trying to cover their liability by saying may contain it reminds me way too much of the cheapest possible boxed wine I drank many times while backpacking in Australia in my early 20s. After drinking it throughout our travels we realized it may contain milk, fish and eggs! Bottom line those of us with celiac disease should avoid “may contain foods” but it is nevertheless annoying to have to avoid “safe” foods because of possible contamination in processing.

This post a little bit of a rant but it is something that I see almost everyday and as someone who loves to eat it haunts many of my meals and grocery store outings. I will take this as a sign it’s time to eat even healthier this year, cooking more at home and going to that second store to find that cayenne pepper that is marked gluten-free. It’s extra work, but feeling well is worth it. By bringing light to this and voicing our concern to companies we can make them better aware of the importance of avoiding cross-contamination and creating truly gluten-free and allergen-free products.

Do you ever eat products that should be gluten-free but state that they may contain gluten on the label?

Gluten-free Iceland- Part II

November 4, 2016November 4, 2016Leave a comment

Hiking Landmannalaugar

We booked a 5 day trekking tour with Extreme Iceland and my partner chose this company as it is well regarded, but also as it has a gluten-free meal option for about $10 dollars CAN extra each day. The meals worked out quite well and I had lots of gluten-free options to eat. It is always a little complicated to cook in a shared space and keep everything gluten-free but another guest on the trek was also gluten-free, which made me feel less like an outsider. Each night we prepared meals at a different lodge where we were staying with our small group and other hikers. Many of the meals for the group were prepared beforehand by a chef and were put together with a salad in the lodges we stayed at.

I made sure to always take part in the food prep which made everything easier and we had our own gluten-free box full of gf oats, snacks and breads. Each morning we would make sandwiches for the day to bring in our packs with gluten-free bread and there were lots of cookies and snacks. The tour guides spoke Icelandic so they could read the packaging of some of the products. Overall, it went well and while it was a challenge it was much easier that they provided so much gluten-free food and that most of the meals were gluten-free as is, such as salmon, potatoes and salad. Overall we has an amazing time on our trek. Our experience, guide and group were amazing and I highly recommend Extreme Iceland for anyone, gf or not.

Snacking on my gluten-free sandwich during the day

Always the prepared gluten-free boyfriend, he brought me extra supplies like Annie’s for the night we ate lamb that was gluten-free but too much meat for this former vegetarian

Gluten-free salmon on the BBQ

Yummy gluten-free veggie soup

Our group at the dinner table

Natural hot springs

The Blue Lagoon

Enjoying the Blue Lagoon

Lava Restaurant was very accommodating, they were able to prepare most of the menu gluten-free and were even able to prepare us a crėme brûlée upon request when we didn’t fancy the gluten-free option on the menu. My main gripe is that my meal was the most expensive of the trip and by far not the best we had in Iceland. But we did thoroughly enjoy our time at the Blue Lagoon and had a super relaxing time.

Lobster Soup

The delicious dessert they made on request

Basically, if you like fish, lamb and yogurt it is relatively easy to go gluten-free in Iceland. I hope you get a chance to one day visit this magical place!

Gluten-free in Iceland- Part I

October 13, 2016November 4, 20162 Comments

Seljalandfoss

This past July my partner and I spent 10 days in Iceland. We ate our way through Reykjavik, did some day trips and a 5 day trekking tour. We had an incredible time and the gluten-free options were pretty decent. As usual when traveling, it’s cheaper and easier to bring some snacks like granola, nuts and energy bars from home. Iceland is expensive and while meals are pricey we were able to eat some delicious and fancy meals for less than $90 CAN for two. You just have to watch what you order.

I found Gluten is my Bitch’s post about Iceland super helpful in planning where to eat: https://glutenismybitch.wordpress.com/2015/08/17/gluten-free-iceland-blue-lagoon-to-rotten-shark/

Below are some of the places we ate in Reykjavik and Part II features the Blue Lagoon and our Trek.

Reykjavik

We had lunch our first day at Fiskfelagid. This restaurant came highly recommended by a friend and we opted for lunch since it was almost half price and dinners can run around $60 CAN for an entrée. We got to eat outside which was lovely. Our lunches were delicious and it was a great way to start a trip. Most of the dishes offered could be prepared gluten-free.

Lunch at Fiskfelagid

The fish with veggies was amazing

We had dinner at Sakebarinn our first night. I had seen this place listed online as gluten-free friendly and they were very knowledgable on gluten-free and had gf soy sauce. We had a delicious meal and without alcohol it was also decently affordable.

The following we had dinner at Hradlestin, an Indian restaurant. We went to their more casual location and ate at there from takeout containers, which was perfect since we were exhausted after an all day tour. Most of the options on the menu were gluten-free and we had leftovers for the next day.

When we were walking around we found Reykjavik Chips . They only served fries so they were all gluten-free and all their sauces, except for 2, were gluten-free as well. It’s a nice casual place to pick-up a snack. I always love perfect fries, especially when I’m travelling.

I could eat these fries with chive sauce all day!

The night we got back from our trek we had dinner with some of our new friends at Snaps. They had quite a few gluten-free options and our group had a great dinner. My fish was delish and there was almost too much!!

Bonus Grocery store is where we picked up our gluten-free snacks, pasta and some Skyr yogurt. The store we visited right downtown had a whole mini aisle of gluten-free products filled with yummy flatbreads and cookies.

Forsíða Bónus

Gluten-free around Sandbanks National Park

August 15, 2016November 4, 2016Leave a comment

In June I got to take a mini-vacation with a group of friends to the Sandbanks in Ontario. We rented a great house near the Sandbanks National park and visited a few beaches and just relaxed. While we ate at the house most of the time the two places we went we visited were:

The County Cider Company

We did a cider tasting for $1.50 and then sat outside and drank some pints. They were only serving snacks at the time so I just had cider. I highly recommend stopping by if you are in the area.

www.countycider.com

The County Canteen

For dinner the next day we ate at this gastro pub in the center of Picton that has a quite a few gf options on their menu and also can adapt some of the other dishes to be gf as well. We had chicken wings and curry. If you are in the area and this is a decent option for a gluten-free meal. There was also live music and a fun atmosphere.

http://www.thecountycanteen.com/

The Sobey’s in Picton is a gluten-free dream, they even had gluten-free graham crackers for smores! So no need to bring stuff from home.

Happy gluten-free Summer travels!

Gluten-free in London

August 10, 2016November 4, 20162 Comments

Little Venice, near the Truscott Arms

I recently spent 2.5 days in London and ate all the gluten-free things! London was great for gluten-free. I did a little research before I left (always recommended) and I had an amazing time eating my way across the city. I found great options everywhere I went, even at the airport. We also spent some time in Preston and Manchester where I also didn’t have a problem finding things to eat.

Honest Burger

We stayed near Portobello Road so we had lunch at Honest Burger. This was a great find as all the burgers could be made gluten-free. The staff were friendly and our meals were delicious. I highly recommend having a burger here. It had been a really long time since I had a chicken burger, maybe 12 years! They also had a great drink menu and we sat looking out onto the market.

Gluten-free chicken burger with fries

Gluten-free beer!

People watching from the table on Portobello Road

Dishoom

We then had dinner at Dishoom and it was amazing. I had heard about this Indian restaurant a few times and decided we had to try it. They had a gluten-free menu and all the choices my table wanted to order were gluten-free. There are really long waits, but we waited 30 minutes outside and then another 30 at the bar but it was really worth it. There are 4 locations in London and we visited the one near King’s Cross.

Raita & dahl

We shared a bunch of dishes…

The gluten-free dessert & drink menu at Dishoom

Borough Market

The next day we had brunch at Roast, right in Borough market. The location was great but the food was so-so, not worth the price at all. You are better off getting a pie or some cupcakes in the market the Free From Bakehouse. Everything we tried from this stand was delicious.

Roast

Borough Market

The Free From Bakehouse in Borough Market

The Free From Bakehouse

Corner Room

For dinner we went to the Corner Room with some friends of my partner. We had a delicious dinner and most of the dishes could be made gluten-free. My main was amazing.

Tomato Starter at Corner Room

Dessert at Corner Room

Corner Room’s version of Eton Mess

Ottolenghi

The next day we walked through the Columbia Road Flower Market and went to the Spitalfields Ottolenghi location for lunch. We each had a main with a choice of two delicious salads and most of the options were gluten-free already. We also took home some delicious meringues for dessert.

Columbia Road Flower Market

An assortment of gf salads at Ottolenghi

Gluten-free lunch at Ottolenghi

Truscott Arms

For dinner we went to the Truscott Arms and I had amazing gluten-free fish and chips. It was such a treat to be able to have flaky and delicious fish and chips. After most of the plate and two ciders I was very full and happy despite my sadness over ending our 3 week vacation. My partner had the Sunday Roast with all the fixings. We had a great time at this pub near Little Venice and recommend it if you are in the area and craving fish and chips.

Cider & gluten-free fish & chips at the Truscott Arms

Tips on Hosting a Gluten-Free Brunch

September 14, 2015Leave a comment

This summer I hosted two brunches with some of my favourite people at my new apartment. I find brunches are a great options as they are quite easy to prepare and I find them to be a more relaxing form of entertaining. My number one tip when hosting any event, whether it is a brunch or cocktail, is to keep everything gluten-free when possible as it minimizes stress and any risk of cross-contamination. When everything is GF I can fully relax and enjoy brunch. I like to take advantage of an opportunity to break bread with friends (GF bread of course) without having to be anxious about what has touched my eggs. Gluten-free food and great company makes for the perfect get-together in my books.

The last brunch I hosted had gluten-free pastries from Le Marquis, egg muffins with cheese, fruit, smoked salmon, bacon, cheeses, coffee, tea, fresh juices and of course mimosas.

Here is a link to an easy egg muffin recipe http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/egg-muffins-clinton-kelly. These egg muffins are fool proof and you can add anything you have on hand like veggies and cheeses. They are also a good option as a snack or light meal during the week.

The not so fun part of living with celiac disease

July 16, 20158 Comments

Passing out on the grass from exhaustion while walking around Quebec City after getting ‘glutened’.

I have been sick all week. I have a mouth full of canker sores. I am exhausted. I feel like my stomach is a toxic dump. And I am up most nights in the washroom. I have hit my low. I try incredibly hard to be positive about having celiac disease but weeks like this really bring me down. I love traveling and eating out but eating out while traveling is what made me so sick and there is very little those of us with celiac can do about it.

Option 1: Travel and eat out and take chances.

Option 2: Stay home, eat safe and have FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).

Option 3: Balance of option 1 and 2.

I try my best with option 3 but it is hard adjusting no matter how long it has been (over 10 years since diagnosis and 8 years eating strictly gluten-free). This is a bit of a rant but I think I should also represent the reality of celiac disease sometimes. Having celiac disease sucks and while I will continue to be positive about it the majority of the time and share recipes and gluten-free tips for eating out I will take moments here and there to recognize the pain and frustration. It is not fun to be sick for a week and not feel right for a week later. It sucks to miss out on birthdays and dinners to stay home being ill. It is not fun to spend vacation in serious pain. It’s even more stressful to be the person who cancels work meetings at the last minute because they can’t leave the washroom. It all sucks. Rant done.

Hope everyone is taking care of their diets and feeling well. I tend to take my health for granted until I get a bad exposure and I am reminded why I have to be so careful.

Any tips on what helps you when you have been glutened?

Gluten-Free in Puebla Mexico

April 30, 2015September 20, 20172 Comments

I recently travelled to Puebla Mexico for a wedding. Eating gluten-free is not easy in this area of Mexico if you do not speak Spanish. Even with my Spanish Gluten-Free card it was a challenge. I learned how to explain that I have celiac disease in Spanish but my pronunciation was terrible. In general I stuck with dishes I knew were made with corn tortillas and took a chance. I love to travel and choose to eat out and take my chances while I am discovering a new place. I am always as careful as I can be without stressing out too much about what I can’t control. It happened twice that I was brought dishes visibly containing wheat even after having the waiter read my spanish gluten-free card and specifying I needed to have my tacos on corn tortillas. One time I had them take it back and bring me something completely different on the menu (I was nervous they were going to remove the taco filling from the flour tortilla and place it on a corn tortilla). The second time, at a different restaurant, my boyfriend switched dishes with me as his dish was gluten-free. I made sure to bring snacks from home and picked up yogurt and extra snacks at the local store so I had something to eat in between meals.

All that to say travelling with celiac disease is hard, even when you speak the language. My tip is focus on all the amazing things you are experiencing and less on the annoyances of eating, like the amazing wedding we attended in nearby Atlixco. I did get a bit poisoned while we travelled but pushed through it like I always do. Having a travel partner who is understanding and supportive makes the process a whole lot better. I have been lucky to travel with some amazing GFBFFs over the last few years!

Here are the top 4 places we ate while we were in Puebla.

El Mural de los Poblanos

Chalupas!

This restaurant was delicious and the waiter really took the time to explain what could be made gluten-free despite there being a little bit of a language barrier. We really enjoyed our lunch here. This restaurant is on the more expensive side and I have mixed feelings about recommending it. We went for lunch and had a great experience but went back a few days later for dinner and were treated very poorly. This is an issue with the hostesses only I believe and could have been avoided if we had made a reservation.

Casareyna

I loved this restaurant! Everything was delicious and it is incredibly beautiful. I think this was our nicest meal while we were away. The only problem was our waiter didn’t understand gluten-free and I had to really double check everything I was eating (which was basically the case everywhere we went).

La Mexicana

Huevos Rancheros

We went here for breakfast as it was right near our hotel. I had huevos rancheros which is what I had almost everyday for breakfast as it seemed to be safe and is delicious. The atmosphere is really nice and you can eat your breakfast outside.

Azotea Rooftop Bar

This was a great spot for a drink overlooking the central square. It was a little expensive but a nice treat and they were able to make me a fresh salad with a few ingredients removed to make it gluten-free.

My favourite gluten-free breakfast

March 27, 2015March 30, 2015Leave a comment

We all have a go to meal or recipe and mine is poached eggs. I love to add them to any meal and they are a great option since they are easy and are a great vegetarian option since I rarely eat meat. As much as I love poached eggs, I really love a lazy weekend breakfast in bed or on the couch with lots of coffee and good company. One of my absolute favourite breakfasts is a gluten-free english muffin with smoked salmon topped with a poached egg. It is super easy and amazingly delicious.

This isn’t really a recipe as it is the simplest thing. All you need is some type of toast or english muffin, eggs and smoked salmon. Just toast a Glutino english muffin while poaching an egg (how to poach an egg). Once toasted butter the english muffin, top it with smoked salmon and the egg and sprinkle it with a little salt and pepper (or in my case a lot of pepper). Optional: add some green onions and or avocado to the mix. Try it and tell me what you think!

Gluten-Free in New York City

February 8, 2015February 9, 2015Leave a comment

Gluten-Free Sushi

I get very very excited about gluten-free eating in NYC. Little makes me happier than a delicious and safe gluten-free meal and NYC has sooooo many options. As usual I ate way too much and had a bit of an italian food binge. And it’s always even better when my travel partner, this time my boyfriend, is game to run around finding the perfect gluten-free meal. It was lovely. A gluten-free dream really.

I didn’t take pics of all my meals as I wanted to enjoy some romantic meals with my guy without a cell phone on the table but I have made a quick list of some of the places I loved below.

Gato

Delicious Brussel Sprouts with pomegranate

Delicious Brussels Sprouts with pomegranate

Bobby Flay’s new restaurant was good but the sides were actually the best part for us. There are lots of gluten-free options on menu. They aren’t marked but our waiter was very helpful.

http://gatonyc.com/

Freidman’s Lunch (Chelsea Market)

BELT- Bacon Egg Lettuce and Tomato

For brunch we went all out and ate way too much. I would highly recommend this place if you are craving a gluten-free sandwich or something bread based. Almost the entire menu can be made gluten-free. It was expensive for brunch but we had cocktails and sides. Located in the charming Chelsea market it’s a great way to spend a Sunday. We ate to our hearts content and then walked the High Line which is a block away.

http://www.friedmanslunch.com/

Cocktails with brunch

Chelsea Market

The High Line

Felidia

Lunch at Felidia was the best lunch I have had since I was diagnosed with celiac disease. For $32.50 you get a 3 course lunch including a starter, entrée and dessert. I had fresh made pear ravioli, salmon and split a apple and berry tart and tiramisu for dessert. ALL GLUTEN-FREE! The ravioli was life changing! I will definitely be going back next time I am in New York. The lunch option makes it so that you can experience this amazing restaurant at a price that won’t completely break the bank.

http://www.felidia-nyc.com/

Bistango

Gluten-Free Calamari

The stuffed pasta and calamari were delicious. I was incredibly excited as this was the first time I had had either in about 10 years. There is something very exciting about being able to order pretty much anything on an italian menu. I definitely had an “is this real life?” moment and there is little I love more than a good “is this real life?” moment.

http://www.bistangonyc.com/

Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli

Galli

If you are shopping in Soho and looking for a solid lunch or dinner option Galli is great. I had a kale salad and gluten-free pasta carbonara. Almost everything on the menu can be made gluten-free. My boyfriend loved the polpette. From a gluten-free perspective I slightly preferred Bistango but my boyfriend liked this restaurant a little more.

http://www.gallirestaurant.com/

Babycakes

I always need to stop by Babycakes for vegan/gluten-free donuts, my favourite gluten-free NYC breakfast.

http://www.erinmckennasbakery.com/new-york-city/

Lili’s 57

Gluten-Free Sushi

I had eaten here years ago and loved the fact that they have a huge gluten-free menu. It wasn’t far from our hotel so one night we picked up some sushi as a snack before our late dinner reservation. We also went for lunch one afternoon and had some delicious sushi and shrimp tempura.

http://www.lilis57.com/

Gluten-Free General Tso’s Chicken

The GF BFF

Your guide to gluten-free living in Montreal: because everyone needs a gluten-free BFF

Category: Living with Celiac Disease